Lindsey Graham rips Paul Ryan for blocking vote on immigration reform

Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham speaks at the Growth and Opportunity Party at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines Saturday. (BRIAN FRANK/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON — Lindsey Graham is "frustrated" House Speaker Paul Ryan is promising to block any moves on immigration reform, he told the Daily News on Tuesday, calling for Ryan to "take a stand" and let a vote happen.

The South Carolina senator and dark horse presidential candidate took shots at Ryan for saying he won't move any comprehensive immigration reform legislation because he doesn't trust President Obama.

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"Forget about working with Obama, just take up the bill and vote," said Graham, pointing out that he's helped craft three different comprehensive immigration reform bills that have passed the Senate with bipartisan support only to die in the House. "If you don't like the Senate bill change it, but at least vote. Take a stand."

Ryan said Tuesday morning that he wouldn't work with Obama on immigration reform because "he's proven himself untrustworthy" with his executive actions to try to stop deportations of many of the 11 million immigrants here illegally, even though the bipartisan bill Graham helped the Senate pass in 2013 almost certainly has enough support to pass the House.

Graham said Ryan has been "very good as an individual on immigration, he's had a balanced view" - but warned that Ryan's vow to not let a vote happen will "come back to haunt" the party in the 2016 elections.

"Absolutely I'm frustrated," he said. "It's wrong for the House not to take a position on immigration. I think it hurts our party," he said.

Graham was happy to lob bombs at the President as well.

A minute earlier, the hawkish senator had said that Obama's Syrian policy was the "worst possible outcome" and warned of another major terror attack on U.S. soil because of Obama's lack of commitment to the region.

"The president has let Syria get completely out of hand," he told reporters in the Senate Tuesday afternoon. "We're going to get attacked from Syria. That's where the next 9/11 is coming from. After that happens, and I pray that I'm wrong, everybody will take a different view."

Graham has repeatedly warned about another major terror attack from ISIS, and wants to see U.S. troops join the fight in real numbers to combat the terrorist state.